Mechanisms of Manipulation in the Information Society (linguistic aspect)
Keywords:
linguistic markers; manipulative techniques; public consciousness; “Putinisms”; the birth of a new myth.Abstract
In today's information society, mechanisms for manipulating the mental state and behavior of individuals and the broader public are being continuously refined. Among the diverse tools of manipulation, language ‒ the power of words ‒ plays a central role. This article examines the appealing and persuasive power of words through an analysis of Putin's speeches delivered prior to the invasion of Ukraine. Linguistic markers, which we have termed “Putinisms,” are reinforced through their interaction with vivid, memorable visuals, all of which are embedded in the emotional packaging of a falsified interpretation of cultural heritage. The culmi-nation of these manipulative actions is the construction of a new “post-Soviet” myth centered on the Siberianization of Russia.
References
Aronson, Elliot, Pratkanis, Anthony R. 2001. Age of propaganda: The eve-ryday use and abuse of persuasion. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.
Aroshidze, Marine, Aroshidze, Nino. 2021. The role of the language priori-ties in development of society. Balkanistic Forum, 30(1), 105–119. Available at: https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=926882 [Accessed 20 December 2025].
Aroshidze, Marine, Aroshidze, Nino. 2020. The great social experiment: When dreams did not turn into reality. Balkanistic Forum, 29(3), 286–305. Availa-ble at: https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=902764 [Accessed 20 De-cember 2025].
Aroshidze, Marine. 2018. The role of language in creating myths. Balkan-istic Forum, 27(1), 306–314. Available at: https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=588951 [Accessed 20 December 2025].
Borisenok, Yuriy. 2023. Byla li revoliutsiia 1917 goda velikoi? Rodina. Available at: https://rodina-history.ru/2023/08/29/byla-li-revoliuciia-1917-goda-velikoj.html [Accessed 20 December 2025].
Harari, Yuval Noah. 2003. Sapiens: A brief history of humankind. London: Harvill Secker.
Ilf, Ilya, Petrov, Yevgeny. 1928. The twelve chairs. Moscow: Zemlya i fab-rika.
Karaganov, Sergey. 2024. Sibirizatsiia: Vtoroi povorot Rossii na Vostok lezhit “za Kamnem”. Rossiiskaya gazeta. Available at: https://rg.ru/2024/02/05/reg-sibfo/sibirizaciia.html [Accessed 20 December 2025].
Kara-Murza, Sergey Georgievich. 2013. Manipuliatsiia prodolzhaetsia: Strategiia razrukhi. Moscow: Eksmo. [Кара-Мурза, Сергей Георгиевич. 2013. Манипуляция продолжается: Стратегия разрухи. Москва: Эксмо].
Kara-Murza, Sergey Georgievich. 2015. Manipuliatsiia soznaniem: Vek XXI. Moscow: Eksmo. [Кара-Мурза, Сергей Георгиевич. 2015. Манипуляция сознанием. Век XXI. Москва: Эксмо].
MEMORYROW. 2015. Cultural memory in European societies. European research project (2011–2015). Available at: https://cordis.europa.eu;
https://memoryrow.weebly.com/ [Accessed 20 December 2025].
Meshcheryakov, Boris G., Zinchenko, Vladimir P. (eds.). 2002. Bolshoi psikhologicheskii slovar. Moscow: Prime-Evroznak. [Мещеряков, Б. Г., Зинченко, В. П. (ред.). 2002. Большой психологический словарь. Москва: Прайм-ЕВРОЗНАК].
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. n.d. Manipulation. Available at:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manipulation [Accessed 10 Decem-ber 2025].
Pratkanis, Anthony R., Aronson, Elliot. 2003. Epokha propagandy: Mek-hanizmy ubezhdeniia, povsednevnoe ispolzovanie i zloupotreblenie. Saint Peters-burg; Moscow: Prime-Evroznak; Olma-Press. [Пратканис, Энтони Р., Аронсон, Эллиот. 2003. Эпоха пропаганды: Механизмы убеждения, повседневное использование и злоупотребление. Санкт-Петербург; Москва: Прайм-ЕВРОЗНАК; Олма-Пресс].
Putin, Vladimir. 2022a. Obrashchenie Prezidenta Rossiiskoi Federatsii k grazhdanam Rossii, 21 February 2022. Available at: https://tass.ru/politika/15816959 [Accessed 20 December 2025].
Putin, Vladimir. 2022b. Obrashchenie Prezidenta Rossiiskoi Federatsii k grazhdanam Rossii, 24 February 2022. Available at:
http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67843 [Accessed 20 December 2025].
Shefner, Vadim. 1977. Sovetskaia poeziia. Vols. 1–2. Moscow: Khudozhest-vennaia literatura. [Шефнер, Вадим. 1977. Советская поэзия. В 2-х томах. Москва: Художественная литература].
TASS. 2024. The history of the incorporation of new regions into Russia. Poster. Available at: https://tass.ru/info/18875697 [Accessed 20 November 2024].
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 BALKANISTIC WORLDS
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
